Cataclysm
by Spicey the Great
Summary: A single tragedy can change the course of someone's entire life; just ask Light Yagami.


**Summary**: Slightly AU in that everyone's ages don't fit together like they normally would, and very AU in the fact that, well, the entire plot of Death Note changes. This is probably the most depressing thing I've ever written. :D

**Disclaimer**: I don't own a thing~

**Warnings**: Seriously depressing things? No telling what will happen in later chapters, so I'll have new warnings up for each one.

* * *

**cat·a·clysm:  
A violent upheaval that causes great destruction or brings about a fundamental change.**

* * *

He wasn't really aware that he was crying. Even as the tears rolled down his cheeks and his little fingers curled tightly over his knees, the only thing Light was aware of was a sense of loss. He had never seen someone die, but he knew what _dead _was, and Mommy and Daddy were dead -- they were gone. Even the baby in Mommy's tummy, not even big enough to show yet, was gone. Could someone die before they were even born? Light was a smart boy, but he wasn't sure. And even though he had asked every police officer he was handed off to, none of them could quite tell him _why _they were gone, why someone wanted to take his family from him. And why he had been forgotten through all of it.

His questions stayed unanswered, even by the time an old man came to pick him up and put him on a plane. When he asked where they were going, the man just smiled reassuringly and told him he was going to an orphanage in England for only the smartest children. It didn't reassure Light at all.

Light's first impression of the building was that it reminded him of a church; one of the old Western churches he had seen on TV. He looked up at the man, expecting to be shown around, but was just greeted with the same smile from the plane.

"Go on inside. You can have any room on the first hall."

"You aren't going to…show me where to go? And where everything is?"

"No. You don't have anything to worry about." The man ushered him inside and left, leaving Light on his own. He wandered about for a while, his 11 year old mind trying to take in the huge building. Every glance into a room only gave him more questions; a big room with stained glass windows, one that was crisp and white like a hospital, and finally some that looked like bedrooms. He rushed into the first one he saw, wanting nothing more than to just go to sleep and pretend he was home. It took him a moment to notice the room had bunk beds, and just a second longer to notice the boy sitting on the bottom bunk.

He didn't look like any boy Light had seen before; he looked Light's age, but he was scrawny and pale, contrasted by his mess of black hair. There were little black rings under his eyes, like the ones Mommy told him he would get if he didn't go to bed on time. Maybe this boy's Mommy never warned him about it. The boy looked at him with his big saucer eyes, all but freezing Light on the spot.

"Hello."

Light fidgeted with his fingers. "Hi. Is this your room?" Stupid question. Now the boy would think he was stupid. He didn't _want _people to think he was stupid.

"Yes. Do you want to be my roommate?"

Blinking at the suddenness of the question, Light just nodded. "Okay. My name is Light."

"I'm L."

"That's a funny name." Feeling his face get hot, Light covered his mouth. He needed to stop blurting things out. "I'm sorry."

"No," L responded with a laugh that was almost a giggle. "It _is_ a funny name."

Relieved that his new roommate wasn't mad, Light sat next to him on the bed. "I just got here tonight." The saucer eyes just kept watching him.

"Then I'll show you everything tomorrow." Even though Light knew what he meant, it sounded funny to him. Like the boy wanted to show him everything in the whole world, and really thought he could do it.

"Thank you," he said politely, frowning. "The old man didn't show me where anything is."

"Oh, he likes us to figure things out for ourselves. You'll get used to it."

"Oh…okay. So is the bed on the bottom yours?"

"Yes. And it's bedtime now."

With a nod, Light changed into his pajamas and climbed up the little ladder leading to the top bunk. He never heard the other boy settle down, and as far as he knew, L was still just sitting there in his strange way. In his sleepy just-before-sleep thoughts, Light vaguely realized that the whole time, the pale boy's fingers were curled over his knees just like his own had been when the sense of loss had hit him. He didn't dwell on it much before letting himself slip into sleep.

* * *

The next morning wasn't _too_ horrible. He still had nightmares, but even though it hadn't been long since what had happened, he was learning to deal with them. Waking up in an unfamiliar bed rattled him a bit, but he had already calmed himself down by the time L told him it was time for breakfast, and he climbed down the ladder looking like nothing was out of the ordinary. L led him to a room he hadn't looked into yet, which he explained to be the dining hall, and sat at one of the many tables. Despite the many tables and booths around, the room was somewhat empty, with nowhere near half of the seats taken.

"The orphanage hasn't been running for very long," L explained. "We only have 40 kids, counting you. They're expecting more. A lot more." Light was sure there weren't that many people in the room. Maybe some weren't hungry yet.

"Why is everyone so spread out?"

"Everyone just sits with their friends. Like at school."

Light nodded, pretending not to notice that no one seemed to want to sit with L. He blinked in surprise when two very little boys toddled over to them, definitely no more than 4 or 5. The blond one spoke up first, latching affectionately onto L's arm.

"Chocolate for breakfast?"

"I have some for you in my room." L helped the little ones up onto the booth with him and Light. "I want you to meet my new roommate. His name is Light."

Light waved a little when they both turned to look at him, the blond holding tighter to L's arm and the redhead just giving him a shy smile.

"Their names are Mello and Matt," L continued, pointing to indicate which was which. "They're my friends." The younger two gave small giggles at this, and Light decided that the children sneering at L from across the room didn't know what they were missing out on.

"I want to be your friend, too."

"Long as you don't take him from us," Mello said with authority, Matt quickly agreeing.

"We can all be friends. Right, Light?"

"Uh huh. I promise not to take him away from you."

"There's no danger of that." L put the younger boys back down, promising them there was enough chocolate in his room for both of them and ushering them off. Not long after, pancakes and bacon were brought out for everyone, along with juice boxes. The two ate in silence for a while, Light watching as L drowned every bite of food in syrup before eating it. "So do you want me to show you around now?"

"Yes, please." Light stood up and let his new friend lead him around the orphanage, explaining all the different areas. The stained glass windows room, it turns out, was a little church chapel. And the crisp white room was the nurse's station. There were lots of other rooms he hadn't peeked into; the playroom, an auditorium, classrooms, and a huge expanse of grass to play in behind the building. He paid special attention to where the main office was, in case he needed help.

By the time L showed him the entire place, he was out of breath and ready for a break. The two sat in the shade of the building, L curling his toes in the grass as Light picked at it.

"L, where does the trail going into the woods over there lead to?"

"The cemetery," was the reply as L bowed his head a little. "Mr. Wammy says it just came with the property, but I don't like it. It's like it's okay if we die, because there's somewhere to put us. That's what my brother thinks."

Light shivered a little at the thought. "You have a brother? Why does he think that?"

"Yes. I don't know, he says weird things a lot. He's always mad at Mr. Wammy. He writes it all down to make himself feel better…I don't think it's working anymore, though."

"What kind of things does he write?"

"Angry scribbly things. Sometimes the words don't make sense together."

"He sounds scary."

"Sometimes he is. But usually I'm scared for him. Mr. Wammy says his mind moves too fast for him to think things through."

"Why doesn't somebody help him?"

"Maybe they can't."

Light wasn't sure why he felt such a horrible sense of dread when he heard the fire alarm go off, but L's frightened expression confirmed that he should be feeling that way. The children all piled outside, and he watched L's eyes dart around the group trying to count all of them, whispering the numbers under his breath. Light looked around too, trying to recognize who he had seen so far.

"37..."

There were the little boys from earlier, rushing over to cling to L as he counted.

"38..."

And there were all the kids he had seen in the dining hall.

"39..."

Plus a few extra children, the ones who must not have gone to breakfast.

"39..."

And…no one who looked anything like L. Not even a little.

"39..."

Oh no.

"...39..."

L's voice cracked as he started to recount the children, and all Light could do was hold his hand and listen.


End file.
